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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2206, 2 June 1870, Page 2

Provincial Council.—There was no business of importance transacted this afternoon. Journalistic.—The Wakatip Mail has been enlarged, and now has the appearance of a well conducted journal. Dredging.— According to the Lake Wakatip Mail, the Shotover dredge is now making one pound weight of gold per shaft; and the success of the one dredge in the river has led to the formation of another party, Avho are erecting working machinery to cost LSOO.

The Hospital. —“A Sunday Visitor” to the Hospital has written to us, calling our attention to the present classification of the female wards, and suggesting immediate reforms. As the letter suggests improvements which we agree with, we have forwarded it to the authorities for their consideration.

The General Road Board.—The (General Road Board met at the Provincial Buildings to-day. Some appointments were made ; but no business of more than local interest came before the Board.

Olio of Oddities.—We notice that Mr George Cotterell will open his humorous entertainment, entitled “Table Talk ami Unframed Pictures,” at the St. George’s Hall on Saturday next. The high opinion expressed by the Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson papers, leads us to expect great doings, and we have little doubt that Mr Cotterell will receive his share of public support. Masonic Hall.—Dr Carr still continues to draw large houses to witness his entertainment. The seance last evening passed off very well, great amusement being caused by the ludicrous actions of those who were mesmerised. A song was given by a gentleman in a cataleptic state with considerable feeling and effect, altogether a very pleasant evening may be spent by those who delight in manifestations of this kind.

The Gas Question. —We understand that owing to the phase Avhich the gas question has assumed, and in vieAV of providing adequately for a full supply of gas to all parts of the City, the lessee intends to lay additional gas mains of large size in the event of a new contract being entered into with the corporation for the lighting of the city for a term of years, and gas consumers will be pleased to bear tbat the first instalment of large iron mains for this purpose has just arrived in Dunedin. Mr Wright and the Deptford Dockyard.— Some mouths ago avo, WcUlmjfm Independent , noticed the departure to England of Mr Wright, the postmaster of Canterbury, for the purpose of asserting the claims ef his family to the property of the Deptford dockyard. The Admiralty having neMected to comply Avith the conditions on Avhich they held the dockyard, the property has in consequence reverted to the EvelynWifivht family. We learn that Mr Wright, avlio has returned by the Alexandria, has been unsuccessful, in consequence of the refusal of the authorities at the Admiralty to alloAV an inspection of their title. The Admiralty evidently consider that possession is nine points of the IaAV, and the length of their purse to resist any legal process by Avhich they could be compelled to produce the required document, is e\fidently the tenth.

Californian Mail Service. —In tie Council this afternoon Mr Shepherd moved the following :—“ 1. That it is of importance to the Colony of New Zealand, and especially to the Province cf Otago, that a monthly steam service should be established between Melbourne or Sydney, and San Franc seo, via Ncav Zealand : the vessels to call at a port not further north than Wellington ; the service to bo performed by steamers of large size and sufficient poAver, having proper accommodation for all classes ef passengers, and ample room for cargo; the contract to be entered into Avith parties who are known to have suitable steamers under their control, and able to give a guarantee that the service will be efficiently carried out. 2, That this Council is of opinion that the contribution of Ncav Zealand towards the subsidy required by such contractors should not exceed the sum of L 20,000. 3. That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to bring the foregoing resolutions under the notice of the General Assembly.”

Supreme Court.—Mr Justice Chapman sat in banco this morning when the case of Hall v. Quinn, an appeal from a decision of the Mayor’s Court, Dunedin, was heard. About five months ago one William Hall was charged with a breach of the Vagrant Ordinance, 1860, in that between the 18th December and the 20th January last, being the occupier of a house in Cumberland street, known as the Bristol boarding house, he allowed it to bo frequented by reputed thieves ami persons having no lawful means of support. At the hearing of the case, Hall was defended by counsel, who asked that the case should be dismissed on the ground that the information thou laid disclosed no offence under the Act. The magistrate who heard the case, after hearing evidence, decided that the first branch of the charge was not sustainable, but considered the second part of it proved, and sentenced Hall to -three months imprisonment, with hard labor. Hall was admitted to bail, and now appealed against that decision. The principal ground on which the appeal was based, was that to constitute an offence ho should been convicted of having no ‘ visible' lawful pieans of support, t'xception was also taken to tho conviction, ou the ground that it contained two offerees, one of which Hall had been declared to be innocent of. Mr Macassey, instructed by Mr Ward, appeared for the appellant, and Mr Smith for the respondent. His Honor expressed an opinion that the conviction was not nothin the law, and said he would state a case for the Court of Appeal, withou cests.

Dunedin Presbyter v. At lust night's si’i/i/runt an appeal from an election of deacons by the Kirk Session of the First Church was heard, and the following resolutions arrived at The appeal to he sustained, but ordinations declared valid ; express regret that differences should have arisen between the session and the congregation, and r.econnnend the session to proceed with future elections with greater regularity.” The Key. Mp Su£her}atpl gave notice of hxs intention to appeal against the deliverance.- The Rev, Air Stuart* called attention to certain statements made by the Rev. Mr M'Naughton at a public meeting of St. Andrew’s congregation. After hearing Mr M'Naughton, the Rev. Mr Will proposed a motion to the effect that Mr M'Naughton he admonished, and his appointment as moderator of St. Andrew’s he rescinded. An amendment by the Rev. Air Todd, differing only from the motion in regard to the rescinding of Mr M'Naughton’s appointment, was carried hy 8 to G. The Rev. Mr M'Naughton laid on the table resolutions adopted at a congregational meeting of St. Andrew’s, asking fur the excision of that portion of the Presbytery’s pgnort relating to the suspension of Mr Scrymgepur, and asking that he might he allowed to accept a call from the congregation, and moved that 6»jfect be given to them. Aft r a discussion, an amendment that the decision of the Presbytery be adhered ii> was carried by 9 to 2. Notice of intention to appeal to tfye Synod was given. A series of resolutions on the same subject, brought forward by Mr Smith, elder of jjt. Andrew’s, was rejected by 10 to 5. Au application frouj £>t, Andrew's to borrow LSOO was

granted; and tlie consideration of an application from Caversham, for the services of the Rev. Mr Watt on Sabbath evenings, was adjourned. The Presbytery afterwards met with closed doors.

The Cromwell Reefs. —The Bendigo correspondent of the Dun stun Timex, writing under date the 31st lust., says:— The Cromwed Company are busy erecting their additional live-head battery, the repairs to the wheel having unfortunately to stand over until the arrival of the necessary castings from Dunedin In the meantime they are having one hundred and fifty tons of cpiartz crushed at the Aurora battery, and judging from the present appearance of the tables, this company undoubtedly possess the richest reef yet tested in the district, Well, they are the pioneers aucHhcy deserve it. During the fortnight Broadfoot's crushing was finished at the Aurora. The reticence of this party prevents me ascertaining the yield, but from the fact of them being busily engaged in raising I presume it was payable. Richmond and Company had a trial of twenty-three tons, yielding loz. (idwta. per ton ; and to-day a washing-up took place from tiic Victoria Lease of thirty-two tons ; the return is not known, as the amalgam is not yet restored. It may be interesting to your readers to know that in all cases of trial crushings, so far worlc has been resumed in the claims from which they were taken ; the fact looks well for our future. I will merely mention as to all other claims except the above and a portion of the Cromwell Company, that they are virtually at a standstill, being either protected or about to be for the winter season. The Aurora Company have one hundred and twenty tons of stone at grass, and have commenced crushing to-day on their own account. An accident occurred at this mill on Monday by the breaking of a pinion-wheel and block, but with the usual energy displayed, the damages were repaired in twelve hours, and everything since has worked smoothly. Prospecting.-—At a public meeting held at Waikouaiti on Friday to consider the advisability of forming a prospecting association, two men who had been out prospecting in the district for sometime past were present, and submitted for inspection a very good sample of gold ; some of it appeared to be slightly watenvorn, as if it had been washed a distance, and other portions of it were jagged and rough, and was very little worn, indicating that the matrix was not far distant. The prospectors explained that they had been out prospecting the coim•try in the neighbourhood of Waikouaiti for some months, but had been unsuccessful in obtaining any encouraging prospects until the present. The gold submitted to the meeting had been found near a quartz reef. Prospects had also been obtained in another direction ; the want of tools, had, however, prevented them from testing the reefs in the localities where found—the late flood having carried their tools away. The prospectors weie ve y sanguine of ultimate success, and pointed out that if they should succeed many of the heavy expenses, such as engine, fuel, &c., required in the working of other quartz reefs in the Province could he dispensed with and water-power he made subservient to their requirements. The proposal of the prospectors was that each subscriber to the prospecting fund should be entitled to the same interest in the reef as the prospectors themselves. After some discussion, in which several questions were put to the prospectors, and were satisfactorily answered, it was finally resolved to contribute in shares the sinews of Avar to assist in thorough!y testing the ground referred to ; and .an association was formed, to be called The Waikouaiti Prospecting Association, the subscription being limited to five shillings per week each member. Out of this the prospectors are to receive L2 perjweek each. The Herald says —The exact locality where the prospectors have obtained the promising prospects submitted to the meeting we are unable to say, but, judging from the character of the gold obtained, we should say, in digging phraseology, that it did not come there by itself, but there must be more in the neighbourhood, which only requires energy and perseverance to discover. We sincerely trust that the day is near at band when we shall have to chronicle the discovery of, if not a rich a payable quartz reef in the district. Post Office Savings Banks.—The results of the operations in connection with the Post Office Savings Banks throughout the Colony during the quarter ending March 31st, are shown by tables, published in the last number of the Hew Zealand Gazelle. From them we regret to say that the depression that we commented on in dealing with the last quarters returns, it is plainly observable, continues throughout the Colony. The total amount of deposits Ayas L 62,245 3s 41, of Avhich L 27.348 9s Cd represented 1048 new accounts, and L 34,890 13s lOd Avas added to open accounts, The amount of principal AvithdraAvn was L 53,144 8s 9d by 2773 operations on 2382 accounts, and 657 closed accounts represent L 22,731 Ss sd. Compared Avith the first quarter of ISG9, the result is very unfavorable, for Avbile the total number of deposits increased by 582, the amount deposited is less by L 7264 17s Sd, and the withdraAvals are still more in excess —• this quarter amounting to L 53,144 Ss 9d, as against L 44,052 19s 8.1 in the corresponding quarter of last year, and in the latter year there were only 405 accounts closed, representing L 19,247 Is sd. The balances remaining on deposit amounted to L 25,457 Is 4d in the 1869 quarter, and to L 10,102 14s 7d at the end of the quarter just past. In last December quarter the total amount of deposits Avas Lfis,s()s jOs Cd, so that in this quarter there lias been an jiicrpasp iff L 6379 12s IQd, and the Avith draAvals ip December to 1.41,665 5s 6d, or L 11.479 leas than in the past quarter. There have been seven neAv offices established during the year. Turning to the Provinces, Ave find that Auckland has 13 offices (the same number as last year), that 316 new accounts were opened, and L 7096 13s deposited, against L 5774 Is deposited in the December quarter. The addition to open accounts last quarter Avas L 7336 9s Gd, against L 7964 8s 4d in the previous quarter, and the closed accounts L 5246 6s 5;I, against L 2832 19s in December. In Otago there arc now IS banks, one hoav one barfing been opened this quarter, and 252 no>v accounts ; an increase of nearly 50, amounting to L 6937 Iss, an increase in the quarter of L 2229 14s, Avhilc the additions to 900 open accounts Avas LBC9S I2s lOd, against additions amounting to L 7603 10s. The total deposits last quarter were therefore L 15633 17s lOd, or an increase during the quarter of L 3321 17s lOd. By 632 operations on 543 accpimts, L 14,000 7s Kid Avas Avithdrawn, and ipc accounts, representing L 7207 'lss oil closed. in the December quarter L 12,458 10s Sd was with-

drawn, and the accounts closed represented L 5179 17s Id. In Canterbury, last quarter, L 12.693 7s lOd was deposited, or an increase of LIB4B 7s lOd, and withdrawals, 4c, amounted to L 7539 l(js Gd, as against L 8399 withdrawn during the previous quarter.